In a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store, there is provided a settlement system including a cash settlement apparatus configured to perform a banknote depositing operation, a banknote dispensing operation, a coin depositing operation and a coin dispensing operation, and a POS (Point Of Sale) cash register configured to cash register an article purchased by a customer and to calculate a sales amount.
An example of a settlement process by using such a settlement system is described. The POS cash register firstly calculates a sales amount, and notifies the cash settlement apparatus of the calculated sales amount. When money from a customer is put into the cash settlement apparatus, the cash settlement apparatus recognizes and counts the money. Then, the cash settlement apparatus subtracts the sales amount, which has been informed by the POS cash register, from a total amount of money from the customer so as to calculate a change amount. Then, the cash settlement apparatus dispenses a change.
The following two styles are typically known as a layout of a settlement system. One is a cash desk payment style in which a cash settlement apparatus is incorporated in a cash register lane (see FIG. 7) and the other is a pay station payment style in which a cash settlement apparatus is separated from a cash register lane (see FIG. 8).
In the case of the cash desk payment style, a POS cash register and a cash settlement apparatus correspond to each other in a one on one relationship, and operations are sequentially performed for each customer. Namely, after an article registration operation has been performed by the POS cash register, a payment operation is performed by the cash settlement apparatus. Thus, when one is operated, the other is generally not operated. Therefore, when one of the article registration operations and the payment operation takes time, the cash desk payment style is not efficient. On the other hand, in the case of the pay station payment style, the POS cash register and the cash settlement apparatus do not correspond to each other in a one on one relationship. Thus, by pausing one of the POS cash register and the cash settlement apparatus depending on a used condition so that the number of clerks can be reduced, the settlement system can be efficiently used.
In general, any one of the styles is selected, and the settlement system is installed. Namely, once the settlement system is installed in a store, the settlement system is fixedly used in any one of the cash desk payment style and the pay station payment style.
In order to make flexible assignment of clerks or the like with respect to the settlement system, JP3698362B proposes that a rotating member is employed in the settlement system. Due to the rotating member, reading of article information can be switched between a customer side and a cashier side.
In addition, JP4028773B proposes an apparatus in which an operation thereof by a customer/clerk can be switched in a checkout station.
In addition, JP4482710B proposes a POS apparatus including a rotating member in which an operation thereof is switched between a customer side and a cashier side by means of the rotating member.
In addition, JP2009-187274A proposes a POS cash register table in which layout of a POS cash register and equipments thereof (shopping bags and so on) can be changed.
In addition, JP2000-149090A proposes a change machine in which an outlet from which a customer receives a change and an inlet through which a clerk puts money paid by a customer are located in opposite directions.
In addition, JP2005-242634A proposes a checkout system which can cope with a change in the number of operators.